Image: The front and back cover of my zine that documented my journey to reclaim the word FAT.
As a woman with lived experienced of disordered eating and body dysmorphia, the pandemic has been challenging. Just a quick scroll on social media and I see a plethora of messages about the body. The spectrum of message ranges from are light-hearted jokes about the need to lose weight after all this is over or the need to use this time to shape and tone your body to perfection while staying inside. There are an array of posts, videos, and ads encouraging people to ton and shape their bodies during self-isolation. Then there are also those who embrace this time to indulge into comfort eating and staying in bed. These are just some of the many different ideas out there and it is not easy to navigate these scary waters (even when the messaging is friendly and encouraging). These messages may potentially be received as unintended shame imposed for people who have bigger bodies or those who are gaining weight physically or mentally.
What does that mean?
When talking about the body, it is hard to remain 100% factual. Our brains are really good at using our lived experiences to interpret facts about our bodies and create narratives that may be lead to unhealthy choices. We can be our own harshest critics and if we can offer kindness to our families and friends, they we must practice being kind and gentle to ourselves.